2 teams with players Folkestone U9 & U10 squads were entered into the U10 event, where the continental rules place the 2 year-groups together. The squad had only a couple of weeks at the end of the domestic season to play together and to prepare for the different rules.
All kitted out in tour shirts kindly donated by sponsor Clive Emson, the Folkestone squad had time to bond on the coach & ferry trip before some warm-up matches on the Saturday, followed by some traditional French Rugby Fayre of sausage, chips and baguette courtesy of our hosts, the Rugby Club Bethunois.
On Sunday the morning group games came thick and fast with Folkestone joining 19 other teams from France & Belgium battling for honours in our last festival of the season.
The different mini rugby rules in France led to contests which were much more physical than the English players are familiar with. This change contributed to both teams losing in their opening games, despite some heroic defence by the Folkestone backs. A highlight of the Furys opening encounter against Fresnes was Ella Preston-Chambers try, having been driven over the line in a text-book maul after her weaving run was halted 10 metres short.
In the second round of matches George Barden scored for the Furys after some swift passing down the line involving Henry Smith & Finn McGuiness, 2 of the U9 players. The Fireflys won convincingly against a side from Ottignies with tries from William Smith, Jonathan Shermuly & Callum Howes after a ‘Team Powell’ try saw Connor cross the line with an assist by twin brother Kian.
The next matches saw both Folkestone teams take on teams from Bethune, with the Fireflys being beaten convincingly but the Furys running out 6-0 winners in a thrilling, open game with tries from Oakley Price (2), Alex Cordell (2), Max Pickering and Ben Hayward and excellent support play from Hugh Evans, Riley Gordon and Ethan Bedford.
In the final group games both teams were involved in tight matches with the defences on both sides holding firm. The Furys conceded 2 tries early on but then re-grouped to fight back to 2-1 with a fine try from Cordell after a move involving Harrison Wade and Price. Despite intense pressure on the Liege defence, the stones were unable to cross the line before the final whistle. The Fireflys game with Migennes looked as though it would end 0-0 with solid, relentless defensive work by Max Whitehead, Jarred Polden and the Powell twins neutralising the opposition, and skilful runs by Jude Eede & Daniel Baignent failing to get the rewards they deserved. It was the very last move of the match which saw Smith collect a loose ball from a line-out and powerfully drive through the Migennes line to score in the corner. A thrilling end to a demanding morning of rugby for our young players.
After lunch a group of musicians stopped by our pitches to provide a rousing atmosphere for the players with a mixture a local, and more familiar music.
The first knock-out round saw both Stones’ teams play Belgian opposition, from Waterloo and Gent. The Furys ran out 5-3 winners with tries from Price, Preston-Chambers & a hat-trick from Cordell, including one of his long powerful runs. Strong tackling by Gordon and decisive rucking by Evans helped keep Waterloo at bay. The Fireflys game against Gent saw scrum-half George Edwards consistently getting the better of his opposite number, and after some fantastic team play involving several players ensued, a slick off-load following a penetrating run from James Uden provided Smith with an opening try for the Stones and Howes & Schermuly added to the score to secure a 3-2 victory.
The final matches of the day saw a tired, but determined Furys team play some of their best rugby of the tournament. A fine individual try by Harrison Wade was followed by lengthy periods of Folkestone pressure and excellent passing by the backs. The pressure from a well-organised CSMF Paris team eventually led to the Stones conceding 2 late tries. The Fireflys final match against Nancy was perhaps the toughest of the day with wave after wave of pressure being absorbed by a resilient Stones’ defence, until a quick-thinking Howes took a quick penalty & found a rare gap in the Nancy defence. 1-0. Schermuly crossed the line after several hard-fought phases and Nancy scored to make it 2-1 at half-time. For the final 6 minutes of the season the players gave it everything, with tired legs and weary bodies managing to keep Nancy at bay until Smith secured a final try to give a 2-try advantage which was defended to the end. Stones 3 Nancy 1.
Overall the Folkestone U10/U9 squad came 5th and 14th out of 20 teams. A fantastic achievement playing different, more physical rules and a true reflection of the hard work all the players have put into their training this season.
The real highlight of the festival was seeing our young players communicate with the French & Belgian players, with shared team photos and a bonding only a physical team sport like rugby can achieve. Merci beaucoup Bethune & au revoir!
Teams:
Fireflys: - Daniel Baignent, Jude Eede, George Edwards, Callum Howes, Jarred Polden, Connor Powell, Kian Powell, Jonathan Schermuly, William Smith, James Uden, Max Whitehead.
Furys: – George Barden, Ethan Bedford, Alex Cordell, Hugh Evans, Riley Gordon, Ben Hayward, Finn McGuiness, Max Pickering, Ella Preston-Chambers, Oakley Price, Henry Smith, Harrison Wade.

https://youtu.be/EjuMhEFW3D4

Match details

Match date

Sat 14 May 2016

Kickoff

10:00

Team overview